Toy



O. URBANI-:K

Aug. 3, 1937.

TOY

Filed Jan. 29, 1956 Patented Aug. 3, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT voFFici;

Application January ze. 1988, yseran N8. 81,819 In Hungary September 19,1935 '1 claim. (ci. 48-129) work. Toys designed according to this invention are provided with a checking device for the driving device and withan electrostatic relay suited to release the checking device.

'I'he surprising effect of a toy ofthis type consists therein that thechecking device can be released without the toy having been touched. The

release is effected with the aid of a piece of a material which can berendered electric by being rubbed, as is the case, for instance, with ahardrubber rod, the' electrically excited piece or rod etc. beingapproached the electrostatic relay whereby this will be actuated.

The invention is .illustrated diagrammatically and by way of example onthe accompanying drawing, on which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection through a toy designed according to this invention, the exteriorappearance of the toy being in this case that of a dog. Figure 2 is asimilar representation showing the dog in another position, Figure 3 isa horizontal section in the plane III-III oi.' Fig. 1, and Figure 4shows a few details drawn to an enlarged scale relatively to the otherilgures.

On the drawing, d-denotes the hollow body of the toy, or of the dogrespectively, which consists of -a non-metallic material, for instanceof a compressed paper-mass. In the rear portion of the body d isarranged a crank-shaft vb, the outwardly projecting free ends of whichare firmly connected with the rear legs a of the dog. The crank-pin b'oi.' the shaft b is connected with the rear end c' of a helical tensilespring c, the other end c" of which is indirectly connected with thebody d, viz. by the intermediary of the crank-pin s' of a crank shaftslocated in the front portion of the body and having at 40 its projectingfree ends the front legs t oi' the dog attached to it.

In the position shown in the Figs. 1 and `3 the crank-shaft b isretained inv that position by means of a bow f which is so designed asto constitute a kind of crank of a shaft g -to which are aiixed two armsh. The free ends of these arms bear on the lower arm k of a two-armedtiltable lever which is supported on the axle i and stands in its`position of'rest about vertical,

as in Fig'. 1, in which position the lever is in unstable equilibrium.The other arm l' of said lever, which is the upper one in Fig. 1,constitutes a weight that tends to turn the lever on the axle t in thedirection indicated by the arrow I (Fig. 1). At the free end of thelever-arm l is a stepped rest l' which can be engaged by a nose o of abody n supported on an axle m located above the bow f. When the body nand the tiltable lever k, l are in the position shown in Fig. 1, thenose o of said body retains said lever in the position shown, i. e.prevents it from tilting. l

The body n is preferably designed as a plate. Above its upper portion isa body p which is likewise preferably designed as a plate. The front endof this body or plate, or, may be, a wire r ailixed to said front end,extends outwardly through the mouth of the dog. The said front end, orthe wire r respectively, constitutes an electrode.

When the tiltable leverv k, l is in the position shown'in Fig. 2 it canbe turned in the position shown in Fig. 1 by turning the toy for 180,the back of the dog being then directed downwardly. Anyhow, it ispossible to eiect this with the aid of a plate-spring u provided at thebelly of the dog, the free end of this spring being bent upwardly andextending into the interior of the body or casing. When a pressure isexerted-upon said spring, the lever k, l will ybe turned upwardly fromthe position Fig. 2 into the position Fig. 1. i,

VThe tail v of the dog is adjustableyit may consist, tor instance, of abendable metal, or a wirel may be inserted into it so that it can bebent upwardly, downwardly, and laterally, as desired. Anyhow, also arigid tail can be used which then is attached to the body by means of ahinge w, as in Figs. 1 and 2.

The manner oi.' operation of the toy is as follows: Y

If the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, that is to say, if thedog is half sitting, half lying (the rear legs lying then at on theground), a body laden with static electricity, for instance ahard-rubber rod which has been rubbed with a cloth, is approached theelectrode r whereby an electric charge is produced in said electrode, aswell as in the body p. This body charges, in turn, the body n in theopposite sense, in consequence whereof the stationary body p attractsthe movable body n so as to turn it on its axle m. By this movement ofthe body n the nose o thereof is withdrawn from the stepped end l' ofthe lever-arm l, in consequence whereof the leverk, l is released andcan turn downwardly into the position Fig. 2.

During this movement the arm k of said lever lifts the arms h. wherebythe shaft g will be turned, as will be, of course, also the bow f whichforms a part thereof, the direction of motion being such that the crankb' is released, as is, consequently, also the spring c, which had beenunder tension up to then. Now the tension of the spring can becomeactive so that the shaft b will be turned and the rear legs of the dogwill be moved rearwardly, as indicated by the arrow II in Fig. 1. 'Ihelegs a lift the body of the dog (Fig. 2) which is, at the time being,supported, besides byvits rear legs, also by its tail, but instantlythereafter the dog :lumps forwards beyond the hard-rubber rod.

'Ihe length of the jump and the direction of the same can be regulatedby adjusting the tail correspondingly. It is also possible to give thedog only a very short tail or even to omit it entirely, in which casesthe dog will perform a somersault, or a salto mortale respectively.

Slipping of the rear legs on the ground is prevented by means ofseparate feet :n of rubber. Owing to the provision of these feet the dogjumps also on a smooth surface, for instance upon a glass-plate.

The members b and f constitute a checking device. When, after the doghas performed a jump, that device has again been prepared ready for use(position Fig. 1) and, in connection therewith, the rear legs have beenturned back into their former position, or position of restrespectively, the dog is ready for another Jump. If the constructionalform of the toy is such a one in which no spring u exists, the toy canbe made ready for repeated use simply by turning the legs into theiroriginal position (Fig. 1) and turning the toy upside down whereby theinterior active members will likewise re-assume their proper positions.But if the toy is provided with a spring u this spring is pressedupwardly and inwardly while the rear legs are turned back into theiroriginal position. The simplest way is iirst to turn the rear legs withthe aid of the little finger by a small angle, say and then to place thetoy with some pressure upon the table or whatever other base it may be,whereby the legs will be further and fully turned into their properposition and at the same time the spring u will be pressed inwardly soas to lift and turn the lever-arm l. When the stepped head-portion l' ofthe lever-arm l has engaged the nose o of the plate n, the toy can belet loose, when the spring u will lift the front half of the dog alittle, as in Fig. 1.

I wish it to be understood that the body of the toy can represent anyother animal suited for the purpose in view, and also the driving devicemay be chosen as desired; it may be, for instance, a spring wheel-work,an electro-motor, etc. Furthermore, the members p and n which are thoseacted on by the static electricity may likewise have any other designthan that illustrated merely by way of example, and also their numbermay be chosen as desired. An important feature, however, is that therespective members are movable relatively to one another eitherindividually or together or in groups, and that at least one of thesemembers or, may be, a plurality thereof, is, or are, designed as achecking device or a contact device, by the release of which by means ofan electrostatic charge and/or by distribution or discharge or byremoving the distribution, the toy can be caused to operate in theintended manner.

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According as the arrangement and the number of the members has beenchosen, and according to the manner in which they are electrostaticallyactuated, the respective` members will either attract one another orrepulse one another whereby the movable parts of the toy will be movedinto such other position as is requisite to produce the eiIect in view.It is this movement which is utilized for releasing the checking devicefor the driving device of the toy.

I claim:

1. In a toy, in combination, a -driving device, two bodies constitutingan electrostatic relay; a loaded tiltable lever; a nose provided at oneof said bodies and adapted to take hold of said lever; in such a manneras to maintain it in unstable equilibrium; an extension connected withthe other of said relay-forming bodies, extending outwardly from theinterior of the toy, and constituting an electrode.

2. In a toy, in combination, a driving device. two bodies constitutingan electrostatic relay: a loaded tiltable lever; a nose providedl at oneof said bodies and adapted to take hold of said lever; in such a manneras to maintain it in unstable equilibrium; an extension connected withthe other of said relay-forming bodies, extending outwardly from theinterior of the toy, and constituting an electrode, and a member adaptedto lift the said lever and to release it thereafter.

3. In a my, in combination, a driving device. two bodies constituting anelectrostatic relay; a loaded tiltable lever; a nose provided at one ofsaid bodies and adapted to take hold of said lever; in such a manner asto maintain it in unstable equilibrium; an extension connected with theother of said relay-forming bodies, extending outwardly from theinterior of the toy, and con stituting an electrode, a member adapted tolift the said. lever and to release it thereafter, and a spring arrangedat the bottom oi' the toy and adapted to lift the said lever and torelease it thereafter.

4. In a toy, in combination, a helical spring, a lever adapted totension said spring, the axis of the spring and said' lever extendingapproximately parallel to one another when the said spring is undertension; a checking device engaging the said lever, a tiltable leversuited for releasing said checking device..and an electrostatic relaysuited to release said tiltabie leve 5. In a wy representing an animal,in combination, turnable rear legs, a helical spring for turning saidlegs, rubber feet at the legs, a checking device for said spring, and anelectrostatic relay suited for releasing said checking device.

6. In a toy representing an animal, in combination, turnable rear legs,a helical spring for turning said legs, a crank-shaft having free ends,to which the front ls of the animal are attached, the crank-pin of saidshaft being connected with said spring, rubber-feet at the rear legs, achecking device for the said spring. and an electrostatic relay suitedfor releasing said checking device.

'7. In a toy representing an animal, in combination, turnable rear legs,a helical spring for turning said legs, an adjustable member adapted togive support to the rear portion of the animal,

a checking device for said spring and an electrostatic relay suited torelease said checking device.

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